1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas generator for an air bag preferably used for an air bag which is placed in a vehicle to protect an occupant from an impact, and an air bag system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An air bag apparatus is mounted to an automobile or the like in order to protect an occupant from an impact at a time of a collision. The air bag apparatus comprises a sensor, a control unit, a pad module and the like. The pad module is mounted, for example, to a steering wheel, and is constituted by a module case, an air bag, a gas generator and the like.
Among the above, the gas generator is structured such that when ignition means is activated by the impact, gas generating means is burned to generate a gas having a high temperature and a high pressure, and the generated gas is ejected into an air bag (bag body) from a gas discharge port to expand the air bag. This expanded air bag forms a cushion for absorbing an impact between the steering wheel and the occupant, thereby protecting the occupant from the impact.
In conventional gas generators, as ignition means for igniting the gas generating means, for example, there has been used a combination of an electrical ignition type igniter activated by an inputted activation signal and a transfer charge arranged in the vicinity of this igniter and ignited by the activated igniter so as to burn. The transfer charge ignited and burned due to the activation of the igniter generates a flame and/or a heat, thereby igniting and burning the gas generating means.
Meanwhile, a space (a combustion chamber) in which the gas generating means is stored is variously designed in correspondence to a shape of a housing, an arrangement of required constituting members and the like, and various kinds of shapes, components or the like are employed for the gas generating means charged therein.
Since a combustion condition of the gas generating means can be an important element for adjusting an operating performance of the gas generator, it is desirable that the gas generating means charged within the combustion chamber is effectively and unfailingly ignited and burned on the basis of the activation of the ignition means.
However, in conventionally proposed gas generators, in view of improving the igniting property of the gas generating means, there is still room for improvement.